Onions Two Ways: Pickled and Caramelized

Pickled onions are my new favourite thing to put on toast and salad. They are sweet and vinegary and super colourful, and also really easy to make! My OTHER new favourite onion is caramelized, which is a bit more complicated to make, but also super tasty on toast, burgers and crackers with cheese. And this post will show you how to make both!

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. The salt draws the liquid out of the onions, so when they are ready they will look softer and the bowl will fill with water as pictured below (onions are fascinating!)

In a small pot pour 1 cup of white wine vinegar, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar, heat on a medium setting until the sugar has dissolved.

When the moisture has been pulled out of the onions, pour them into a strainer and rinse with cold water to remove the salt and moisture. Strain excess water then pour onions into a bowl. Add the warmed vinegar mixture to the onions. When the mixture has cooled a little pour it into a jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

They will look like onions in water at first, but after a few hours look at how pink they become! Magic!

Chop 3 white onions and 1 red into strips and place into a large pot on the stove. Add a drizzle of oil and heat on a medium setting.

You want to sweat the onions down without browning them too much. When they have been sweated down enough they will look like the image below. Once they reach this stage, add 3 cloves of roughly chopped garlic. Mix in and heat for a few minutes before adding 1 tablespoon of dried thyme. Mix in thoroughly.

When the onions have become sticky/gummy they are ready for sugar. Add 3/4 cup of brown sugar and mix in.

As the onions heat with the sugar they will become liquidy (again, onions are fascinating!) Simmer the onions until they reach the stage pictured below. Add the balsamic vinegar and then heat the mixture until some of the moisture has evaporated.

The mixture is ready when you use a spoon to part the onions and the water doesn’t rush to fill the bottom of the pot. It should be sticky rather than liquidy.

Pour the onions into a jar with a tight fitting lid and allow to cool before storing in the fridge. Combine either of these onions with the cashew cream or goat cheese spread and the sprouts I showed you and you’ve got some great burger and sandwich toppings. Next I’ll post a recipe for the honey balsamic dressing pictured below ♥ ♥ ♥ Enjoy!